How long(ish) will a front like this turn off Willard?

[Dgallen]

I'm pretty new to the whole warmwater fish thing and just was curious how much of an effect this front will have on shutting down the wipers? I couldn't escape work at all last week but this week looks much better. Thanks in advance.
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[HD7000]

Usually a couple days after the storm it gets going again... This weekend is supposed to be back to great weather and I'm sure you will see more stellar reports again!
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[TheFishSlayer]

Like HD7000 said. Give it a day or so. I have the same luck as you. I can only get off work when the weather sucks.

Good Luck
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[WiperMac]

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[font "Calibri"]Three consistent days of good weather before you should consider hitting Willard. That being said, I plan on ignoring my own advice and being out there this Friday. [][/font]
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[SkunkedAgain]

I'll be there with ya, after a couple weeks of bad luck for free time to turn into fish days, I hope Friday will let me get back to the bay... I'm crossing my fingers and hoping they will bite, but I'm a little nervous that they need more time to warm up... Hope they don't shutdown too long... See ya there... J
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[WiperMac]

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[font "Calibri"]I agree that Friday maybe a little early but I promised one of the active duty boys in our office a trip out. He’s originally from Michigan, grew up fishing Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron and hasn’t had a walleye dinner in a long long time. I had walleye for lunch today and I think he was about ready to arm wrestle me for it. [laugh] [/font]
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[SkunkedAgain]

I have a similar deal, my FIL is going in for knee replacement and won't be able to get out for a couple months so we need to get him a good outing.

If I knew which building you were in I might have stood in line for a piece of walleye too. Would have been much better than a Runway Rubies burger. Good luck Friday. Later J
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[TheFishSlayer]

I'M just down the hill from runway ruby's. We should have a bft byof day.
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[Old_Coot]

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[font "Calibri"]Three consistent days of good weather before you should consider hitting Willard. That being said, I plan on ignoring my own advice and being out there this Friday.[/font][/quote]

Both of WiperMac's sentences are spot on ... especially the last sentence.

Now, I'm making a prediction here: This coming weekend will produce yet more great wiper reports from Willard. But I don't think that the reason the fishing will be so hot is because the barometric pressure will have stabilized, Rather simply because the wipers are so hungry. Let me explain:

As you have heard recently, those big wipers have crawfish in their stomachs. Many of us who have filleted some wiper for supper have opened up the stomachs and seen crawfish in there. Crawfish are not the main food source for those wipers. The main food source for the Willard wiper are the gizzard shad. I think they are eating crawfish simply because they are desperate. My theory as to why those big boys are so aggressive about taking our lures right now is because they are coming out of winter with an appetite for small bite-sized shad that they can't find ... until they see our shad imitating lure go buzzing by.

I think that once the shad hatch and grow a bit, those big wipers will ignore our plastic crap and return to eating the real thing.

Other normal weather years, the water is warming up about the same time as the bite-sized shad are becoming available. But this year, the water is warming up WAY ahead of the shad hatch schedule.

So, I think that while the water continues to warm up and until the shad fry start to show up, it will be really good wiper fishing.

Yes, wiper seem to be one of the most sensitive species to barometric pressure but right now I think that their hunger over rides the pressure a bit.

I am OBVIOUSLY no biologist ... that's just my opinion.

Once the bite-sized shad begin to show up, then is when you will really see the negative affects of a low pressure.

See ya all out there Friday and Saturday!
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[FishSlayerMP]

Thanks Coot! Great info, sounds so simple when you think about it.
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[WiperMac]

I'm in[cool]
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[WiperMac]

So long as we keep having the bite we're having I'll buy into any theory you tell me. Let's just hope it lasts a while.[cool]
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[TheFishSlayer]

Sounds good to me too. And of course since the bite is good I have to go to Idaho for a week.
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[Springbuck]

EVERYONE here knows better than me, but last year I caught my first wipers, after years of trying, with the help of a really decent BFT'er.

He, (and I), caught some (he, many) from shore, with wind in our faces, spitting occasional rain, and roiling clouds, very early in the year, long before the big bite started in the inlet channel. When a hat to keep your ears from stinging was still mandatory, and not a boat was in sight.

So, I learned something. [sly]
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[Dgallen]

Interesting. Seems logical enough.

Thanks for all the replies, we'll see what Thursday and maybe Friday bring. If it were only as easy as trolling 3 mph and covering lots of water! I'm growing to really hate Willard, it has continuously kicked my trash!
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[Tin-Can]

Well if the info on the other thread about the missing boater is accurate, and they don't find or recover him, looks as if WB may be shut down this weekend. I think I would check that out before I hooked up the boat and drove any distance to get there. I have to take a dog to the vet Friday, and work Saturday, then doing some home repairs Sunday. So I guess I will have to skip this weekend. Good luck to all that make it out there - if it's open -
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